It is often difficult to plan activities that engage students in inquiry and focus on concepts that are difficult for students to learn. As student teachers, you have lived this difficulty first-hand. Now that you have assessed both conceptual understanding and inquiry in your assessment projects, you are ready to critically examine some attempts to support this inquiry with online resources.
Tonight's activity is meant to provide you an opportunity for exploration and reflection. Instead of falling into the trap of dismissing activities because they are difficult for you as a teacher to master, spend some time thinking about what "gaps" these activity might fill in your courses and what skills would be necessary for you to use these activities with little stress.
Purpose
Tonight, you will explore some activities aimed at supporting classroom inquiry that addresses key scientific ideas. You goals are:
Relate concepts contained in GSEs with relevant student experiences and products.
Explore, use, and evaluate an example online inquiry activity.
Reflect on the advantages and challenges related to using this type of activity with students.
Procedure
Review an "unpacked" GSE in your discipline.
Brainstorm things that students should be able to do to demonstrate understanding of some of the more difficult concepts at different depths of understanding.
Choose an online activity, try to set it up with the tools we have on hand, and conduct the activity in your group.
Reflect on how this activity might help students understand difficult concepts.
Suggest ways that you would supplement/modify your activity to enhance your students' understanding.
Be prepared to share:
Describe your GSE, and the concepts your activity targets.
Describe your activity, including "guiding question," student actions, and main results
Suggest at least one advantage and one challenge that using this type of activity might provide for a teacher.
Introduction
It is often difficult to plan activities that engage students in inquiry and focus on concepts that are difficult for students to learn. As student teachers, you have lived this difficulty first-hand. Now that you have assessed both conceptual understanding and inquiry in your assessment projects, you are ready to critically examine some attempts to support this inquiry with online resources.Tonight's activity is meant to provide you an opportunity for exploration and reflection. Instead of falling into the trap of dismissing activities because they are difficult for you as a teacher to master, spend some time thinking about what "gaps" these activity might fill in your courses and what skills would be necessary for you to use these activities with little stress.
Purpose
Tonight, you will explore some activities aimed at supporting classroom inquiry that addresses key scientific ideas. You goals are:Procedure
Resources